I feel it is a shame that Baltimore cancelled the Columbus Day parade due to budget problems. This parade has been a long time Baltimore tradition and it is missed.
However, recently, the city began street cleaning services in Highlandtown. The city posted new signs on the east-west streets designating each side as no parking for half a day on alternate days, for street cleaning. Last week, the city began to post street cleaning signs on the north-south streets.
This is a new service for the Highlandtown community. But the city is in dire financial straits. The city has announced that services will be cut to reduce spending and attempt to balance the budget. The Columbus Day parade was canceled for this reason. I am sure the initial cost of posting all these signs and then the added on going cost of cleaning these new areas is significant. How can our city budget justify this added expense?
Then, on the first designated morning, it all became clear. Forty-dollar tickets were handed out to any vehicles parked in these areas during street cleaning times. Each street cleaning day, I see a large number of ticketed vehicles. This is not a city service; this is a revenue generator. How silly of me to think that our city was providing me with an added city service at no cost.
Samuel Dutton, Baltimore